On the First Day of Christmas…

My true love gave to me, a partridge in a pear tree: the first of an accumulation of gifts from one’s true love in one of the most beloved of Christmas carols. Although the specific origins of the song are not known, it possibly began as a memory-and-forfeits game in which the leader recited a verse, each of the players repeated the verse, the leader added another verse, and so on until one of the players made a mistake, with the player who erred having to pay a penalty, such as a offering up a kiss or a sweet.

However there is another theory. While there are seemingly no obvious references to religion in this carol, there are those who would suggest it was a catechism song for Catholics to learn the tenets of their faith during a period of time when Catholicism was outlawed in England. There is no evidence that this was the case, nor any evidence that the verses contain anything uniquely Catholic. The verses of the song, along with their supposed symbolism follow:

A Partridge in a Pear Tree – Jesus Christ

Two Turtle Doves – the Old and New Testaments

Three French Hens – the three virtues of Faith, Hope and Charity

Four Calling/Collie Birds – the four gospels; Matthew, Mark, Luke and John

Five Golden Rings – the first five books of the Old Testament

Six Geese-a-Laying – the six days of creation before God’s rest on the seventh day

Many still hold the idea of a coded hymn to be true and say the twelve days of Christmas in the song are the twelve days between the birth of Christ (Christmas, December 25) and the coming of the Magi (Epiphany, January 6) and traditionally celebrate a feast day for a saint or another celebration.

Day 1, Christmas Day, celebrates the birth of Jesus.

Day 2, also known as Boxing Day, celebrates St. Stephen who was the first Christian martyr.

Day 3 celebrates St. John the Apostle, one of Jesus’ disciples and friends.

Day 4 celebrates the feast of the holy innocents, when people remember the baby boys who King Herod killed when trying to find and kill the baby Jesus.

Day 5 celebrates St. Thomas Becket, the Archbishop of Canterbury in the 12th century. He was murdered on this day for challenging the King’s authority over the Church.

Day 6 celebrates St. Egwin of Worcestor.

Day 7, New Year’s Eve, celebrates Pope Sylvester I, one of the earliest popes.

Day 8 celebrates Mary, the Mother of Jesus.

Day 9 celebrates St. Basil the Great and St. Gregory Nazianzen, two important 4th century Christians.

Day 10 celebrates the Feast of the Holy Name of Jesus, remembering when Jesus was officially named in the Jewish Temple.

Day 11 celebrates St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, the first American saint who lived in the 18th and 19th centuries.

Day 12, also known as Epiphany Eve, celebrates St. John Neumann who was the first Bishop in America in the 19th century.

The traditions of the Twelve Days of Christmas have been largely forgotten in the United States. Stories with an emphasis on generous gift giving, such as those written by Charles Dickens, and the introduction of more secular traditions, such as Santa Claus are some contributing factors. Additionally, the American commercial calendar has led many to believe that the twelve days end on Christmas Day and must therefore begin on December 14th. For American retailers, the first day of Christmas actually terminates the Christmas marketing season, as shown by the number of after-Christmas sales that launch on December 26th.

Those who do observe the traditional Twelve Days may give gifts on each of them, each representing a wish for a corresponding month of the New Year. Other American traditions include lighting a candle for each day and singing the appropriate verses of the famous song, or lighting a Yule Log and letting it burn some each of the twelve nights. As in olden days, Twelfth Night to Epiphany morning is then the traditional time to take down the Christmas tree and decorations. And with resolutions in place begins the new year. (www.whychristmas.com)